best image organizer?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Spoon2001
  • Start date Start date
Spoon2001 said:
FotoAlbum looks promising - but guess what? It has a limit of 10,000
images, which I exceeded. So I had to select another subfolder as my
FotoAlbum picture folder.
Click to expand...

Wow... that's a lot. Remember you can have several FotoAlbum picture
folders. It remembers the previous in the pull down menu I mentioned (and
has the info in NDX folders so they are quick loading).
 
I guess this is a question for Spacey Spade
I have tried Foto Album and like it BUT!!!
I need to move my photos off onto CD but keep the thumbnails alive in Foto
Album so I know which CD to find so as to retrieve those photos.
In Foto Album when I move the photos off I also lose the thumbs.
Is there a way around this please?
TIA
Leo
 
Xnview also looks 10 ties better than Irfanview
Click to expand...

I tend to go for functionality and stability rather than flashy,
skinable, bloated instability which describes Xnview nicely.

Anyway, each to is own.
 
Bob said:
Ctrl Panel,,TweakUI,,Explorer,,Icons.

Set from 32 to 256 pixels.

Bob
Click to expand...

You're talking about icons, not thumbnails?

BUT ... in the TweakUI that's in Powertoys for WinXP (doesn't appear in the
Control Panel), there is an option to adjust both the size and image quality
of thumbnails. Thumbnail size can be increased from 96 to 256 pixels, or
decreased as low as 32.

Thanks for tipping me off to TweakUI.
 
BUT ... in the TweakUI that's in Powertoys for WinXP (doesn't appear in the
Control Panel), there is an option to adjust both the size and image quality
Click to expand...

Yea, I forgot about that. Sorry for the wild goose chase.


Bob
 
Spoon2001 said:
Ahhh JC ... a lesson learned. Check out the help file and keyboard
shortcuts! I tried the usual right-click and drag option, expected that to
give me the copy/move option, but no go. Thanks much for the tip.
Click to expand...

Frankly, I wish both software authors would make it so that it worked
the same as in Windows Explorer. However, I can't begin to tell you
how valuable IrfanView was with a large (2700 images) two year project
I've just completed.
I only use version 3.7 of IrfanView because of bugs in newer
versions that I just can't live with. Don't ask me what they are, it's
just been too long. 80)>
 
John said:
Frankly, I wish both software authors would make it so that it worked
the same as in Windows Explorer. However, I can't begin to tell you
how valuable IrfanView was with a large (2700 images) two year project
I've just completed.
Click to expand...

You finished it! Woohoo!
 
Blinky said:
You finished it! Woohoo!
Click to expand...

Yep. Now I'm going to get it copyrighted and put it on CDs. To that
end, I had problems because of the (very) long file names and complex
folder structures. The solution is to use two excellent freeware programs.

1. first I broke the archive into four roughly equal chunks.

2. zipfile all four chunks, retaining folder structure. I use a
commercial software program, but there are freeware programs that will
do this part just as well.

3. Convert each of the four resulting zip files into a self extracting
executable using this program:

http://www.woundedmoon.org/win32/semkr100.html

(Extraction from the resulting files creates a master folder which I
named, and inserts a portion of the archive project into it. It
maintains folder structure and long file names perfectly.)

4. Make four autorun.inf files, each activating one of the SEs. I used
Karen Kenworthy's "Autorun.inf Editor v1.4" program to accomplish this
(could have simply used notepad, but this was faster):

http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptautorun.asp

5. Copy each .inf file and it's corresponding SE to a CDR disc.

The result is that the entire archive fits on four discs and all the
recipient has to do is to place one into their CD drive and press a
button to install that portion of the archive. They can chose to
install all four or only one at a time.

At least this is the goal. There have been so many problems up to this
point that one never knows. I've made one disc and ran it
successfully, so it might be a possibility to pull this off.
 
Blinky said:
I agree with that call. I've never skinned anything in my life, and
prefer simple GUIs like were the norm a few years ago (grey and quiet,
with restrained icons) than stuff that's painted up like a circus
wagon or that appears to be someone's bad dream of a Star Trek prop.
Click to expand...

On that subject, while i was using Vallen Jpegger last night - it is a
combination Graphics viewer and MPEG/Sound player - I was thinking how much
I liked the simple interface for the sound player. And a simple Ctrl-Tab
takes you between the graphics viewer tab and the sound player tab.
 
John said:
Yep. Now I'm going to get it copyrighted and put it on CDs.
Click to expand...
<snip>

I'm interested ... what kind of project is this that involved 2700 images?
It may be similar to one of the projects I have in mind, or it may give me
ideas.
 
Leo R. said:
I have tried Foto Album and like it BUT!!!
I need to move my photos off onto CD but keep the thumbnails alive in Foto
Album so I know which CD to find so as to retrieve those photos.
In Foto Album when I move the photos off I also lose the thumbs.
Is there a way around this please?
Click to expand...

Hi Leo,

I believe the thumbs are there (at least until you rebuild the thumbnail
file). FotoAlbum thinks you don't want to see them.

You must lie to it . . .

Use thumbnails in place of the full size photos. If the name is exactly
the same FotoAlbum will treat it as the same photo and show the
FotoAlbum thumbnail and any captions, comments etc. you have added.

Short or rewriting the program I *think* that's the only way to do it.
You will have two sets of thumbnails on your hard drive (the ones you
create and the ones FotoAlbum stores in it's own file).

Excerpts from the FotoAlbum help file (Version 3.4.0.0) (I haven't
installed 3.4.1.0 yet):

<quote>
Index Maintenance

The primary index file (<PicDir>\Ndx\fototime.xml) contains all the
information about each picture. It also contains information about
pictures that were deleted (in case you later add them back). You should
never remove this file since it contains all captions, album
information, etc. In addition, you need to be sure this file is backed
up regularly.

FotoAlbum also maintains a thumbnail database that resides in the
"Thumbs" folder within the folder you installed FotoAlbum (usually
"c:\program files\fototime\thumbs). This folder contains files necessary
to store all of the thumbnails and associated index information. If this
folder or files are removed, FotoAlbum will automatically rebuild the
thumbnails.

Index Files And Backups

<PicDir>\Ndx\fototime.xml - This is the primary index file that contains
all albums, groups and pictures. It does not contain the thumbnail data.
It will either be an XML file or a binary file based upon the setting of
your preference.

<PicDir>\Ndx\NdxBackups\*.* - This folder contains backups of your index
files. FotoAlbum automatically creates backups of your "fototime.xml"
file and saves them in this folder.

<ApplicationDir>\Thumbs\*.* - This folder contains the thumbnail
database. If this folder is removed, it will be rebuilt. You can change
the default location for this in the Preferences of FotoAlbum. You
should periodically compress this file by choosing the Regenerating All
Thumbnails option.

Note: In the prior listings, <PicDir> refers to your currently selected
picture folder. You can have multiple of these on your system and switch
between them using the "File->Set Picture Folder" command.
<ApplicationDir> refers to the folder you installed FotoAlbum into
(usually "c:\program files\fototime").
</quote>

Susan
 
I tend to go for functionality and stability rather than flashy,
skinable, bloated instability which describes Xnview nicely.
Click to expand...

I heard that.

When I configure my text editor, movie player, etc, I hide as many icons and
tool bars as I can. For example, I run Media Player Classic with just the
movie window. Who needs distractions? Everything is controllable from the
context menu. I'm looking for a clean image viewer that views and nothing
else. IMHO, Irfanview and XNView try to do too many things, and do nothing
well.

Bob
 
Susan said:
Hi Leo,

I believe the thumbs are there (at least until you rebuild the thumbnail
file). FotoAlbum thinks you don't want to see them.

You must lie to it . . .
Click to expand...

I WAS WRONG, HURRAH! ;)

or . . .

they changed this in Version 3.4.1.0 (which I just installed)

In Version 3.4.1.0 - General Preferences - check the box that says
display deleted files.

What could be more straightforward?

from the help file:

<quote>
Display deleted files: Normally FotoAlbum hides thumbnails for pictures
that have been deleted. If this is checked it will show them (with a red
X).
</quote>


Susan
 
Thanks a Million. Susan you're a gold watch. Will download ver 3.4.1.0
now.
Click to expand...

Hi Leo,

YW. I was afraid you might not see my late message in the thread. Glad
to know you did. :)

Susan
 
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